What's Inside
by Dream Cager
Summary: [Haitus] Jess and Jim finally come up with a plan to rid themselves of Meowth by tricking him into getting caught. Oddly enough, after a few days with his new trainer, Meowth doesn't want to leave.
1. Chapter 1

**What's Inside******

**Cager: **Zzzzzzzzzzzzz -_-

**Anto:** ... o_O;;  Urm, why is the Cager sleeping?  She's supposed to be giving the disclaimer.

**Angi:** I don't know why she's asleep.  *winks at the audience* ~_^  But I think it may have to do with the massive amounts of sleeping powder Raistlin put in her soup this morning.

**Anto:**  Why'd he do that????? @_@

**Antea:** Just read the sign.

**Raistlin:** *hammers signs into the ground all around his armchair*

**Anto:** *reads the signs* 'Please... keep... quiet'.... 'No... Cager... beyond... this... point.'  :(  That's not nice.

**Raistlin:** I need my own sleep, too, you ignorant imbecile and I can't have that with _her bouncing all over the place! *Falls into the armchair and sleeps* Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz -_-_

**Jouti:** .... Alright, that was completely pointless -_-;;  Please, Gilthanas, if you would be so kind, (being one of the only other sane people around here) give the disclaimer?

**Gilthanas:** Fine then.  Cager does not own Pokemon, The Anime Kitties or any characters (like me and Raistlin) from the Dragonlance books.  Please, do not sue her.  She does own the anime kitties and the new boy, Kenjo, in this fan fiction.

**Yugi Kitty:** Please, read, remew,(review) and next time, remember to bring me a BIG plate of fish, please-y!

**Prologue**

            "What kind of plan was _that_, Meowth?!" demanded Jessie as she kicked the small, cat-like Pokemon.  With a yell, Meowth flew across the crater they had created in their fall and smacked into the other side.

            "You nearly got us all killed!" growled James with a glare in the direction of their Pokemon partner.

            "Wob-buffet!" chimed another of their troublesome Pokemon, who was swiftly returned to his Pokeball.

            "Hey!  Don' youse go an' blame 'dis all on me!" snapped Meowth as he got back up to his feet after recovering from Jessie's kick.  He crossed his furry arms and gave them both a glare of his own.  "If you'd just done what I'd told ya ta do, we woulda had Pikachu nabbed by now."

            "Whatever, Meowth!  All you're plans end up like this!" sniffed Jessie.

            "Yes!  We always follow exactly what you say and we never are able to grab Pikachu!" insisted James.

            "Oh, yeah?  Well, if youse have some better plans, I'd like to hear 'em!" retaliated Meowth.  Jessie and Jamse looked at each other for a moment before smiling broadly.

            "Alright, Meowth," said Jessie in one of her sweeter voices, "you just give us one night and we'll come up with a perfect plan on how to capture Pikachu."

            "That's right," added James with a grin too big for his own face.  "You just leave everything to us."

**Chapter 1**

            Kenjo looked across the grassy field at his opponent with a smirk.  Being only one year into his Pokemon Training, Kenjo was considered a novice in his career but he still had utmost confidence in his Pokemon.  Unlike other beginning trainers Kenjo was slow and steady.  He liked to stay in different areas for long periods of time so he could learn more about the Pokemon and the people in the area.  While most trainers raced through their first year determined to enter the Pokemon League Champion Chips as soon as possible, Kenjo kept to his own pace and only had two badges.

            Kenjo had short black hair which was very messy, according to his own style, and he wore a red handkerchief in his hair.  His eyes were a rich brown and he had a very charming smile.  There were secrets that seemed to travel around with him, secrets that not even his own parents could put their finger on.  He had a special aura about him.  Or maybe it was the fact that he was very inclined to the Normal-element Pokemon that drew others to him?  His clothes were pretty plain: a pair of blue jeans, a black T-shirt, a forest green vest and green-streaked sneakers.  Around his left elbow was tied another red handkerchief, identical to the one in his hair.  The second hanky held no actual purpose, just a little bit of Kenjo's own style.

            Many trainers looked at Kenjo and thought he would be a pushover.  Two badges?  He was already eleven, so shouldn't he have, at the very least, five?  Not to mention coming from a very small-time town like Pallet!  Unfortunately for the trainers, they had a lot to learn about Kenjo... a LOT to learn.

            "Ponyta, I choose you!" cried his opponent, letting loose her energetic fire horse.

            "Then I choose you, Tauros!" yelled Kenjo.  Out of his Pokeball, enveloped in quickly dissapating red light, emerged a large, brown body.  Thrashing its horned head and stamping its hooves, the Tauros turned to face its opponent without fear.  "Tail Whip!"  Immediatly, his Tauros began to whip at itself with its own tails, an old trick Tauros use to get themselves psyched up for a battle.

            "Ponyta, Take Down!" ordered the opposing Trainer.  Her Ponyta ran straight towards the anticipating Tauros.  Kenjo waited until the Ponyta could see the whites of his Tauros's eyes before giving his next order.  "Tauros, Leer!"  His Pokemon's eyes flared red and smoke began to issue from its nostrils in its heat.  The Ponyta gave a small whinny and skidded to a stop in its shock.  The trainer knew her Pokemon was now left defenseless and open to attack but Kenjo didn't give any other order to his Tauros.

            "It's alright, Ponyta!  That's just a little mind trick, you don't have to get close to it to attack anyway," smirked the Ponyta's trainer.  "Use the Flame Wheel!"  The Ponyta's body began to glow red with flames and after just seconds of preparation, it shot off a large wheel of flames straight towards Tauros!  Any other Trainer would have thought this to be the end of the Wild Bull Pokemon but Kenjo wasn't any other trainer.  Actually, this was just what he'd been waiting for!

            "Tauros, Rage!" shouted Kenjo in triumph.  The Trainer across the field saw her mistake immediately and knew right then and there that nothing else could be done.  The flames enveloped the Tauros, which was now running in its building rage towards the Ponyta.  The heat from the flames that covered the Tauros now only added to its attack power two fold, and there was no way the Ponyta could move fast enough to get out of the line of fire.

            "Ponyta!" cried the Trainer as she ran to her Pokemon even before it was hit.  The Tauros slammed directly into the frail Ponyta's body with a crunch, beating it with only one hit.  The flames that covered Tauros died without even being felt by it, due to the large amount of adrenaline in its blood, a large amount that was slowly dissipating as the Tauros pawed the ground restlessly.

            The Trainer stroked her Ponyta's neck and whispered reassurances to it as she watched the Tauros with increasing fear.  Tauros were known to be extremely hard to train and were still very wild, even after years of captivity.  What if this Tauros decided to go on a rampage and its Trainer was unable to stop it?  These thought all flashed through the girl's head before she heard Kenjo click his tongue quickly three times and then give two long whistles.  The Tauros stopped its restless stomping but it was still breathing hard as it turned towards its trainer.  Kenjo chuckled and gave three more quick click of his tongue.  The Tauros, with ever-slowing breaths, began to amble back to its trainer.  By the time it reached Kenjo, it was docile as a lamb and was allowing him to scratch behind its ears as he whispered how proud he was of it.

            Yes, many trainers had a lot to learn about Kenjo.

*          *            *

            "So, what's 'da point of 'dis, again?" asked Meowth as he forced himself to get back down on all fours and sit down in the middle of the deserted dirt path.  Jessie and James where hid in the forest just a few feet off from the path.

            "You let yourself be 'captured' by some dimwit trainer and then when he's sleeping, you steal the rest of the Pokeballs he has and bring them to us so we have something new to use when we go to catch Pikachu," explained Jessie the um-tillionth time that morning, but it seemed strange to Meowth that she would still not mind having to explain her plan over and over.

            "See, Meowth, once we have some stronger Pokemon, we'll be able to steal Pikachu in a real battle instead of using some weird, never-going-to-work plan," giggled James with that untrustworthy grin again.  Over all the years he had been part of this team, Meowth had trained himself always to be wary of such a grin, but he wasn't sure why he should be right now.  The plan was a simple one, wasn't it?  Get caught, steal the Pokemon, get out.  Simple, completely simple.  But something was still wrong with it.  Maybe it was... too simple?  Yes, it was too simple.  An odd feeling of fear began to gnaw at his mind just then, but Meowth just couldn't quite put his paw on why.

            "Just remember, Meowth," said Jessie as she began to slouch down even deeper into the brush to keep hidden, "you have to _act like a wild Meowth, not like a talking Meowth."_

            "Wob buffffff!" agreed her blue, Psychic Pokemon before getting sent back to his Pokeball.

            "Hey, Jessie," said James, turning to his best friend, his grin broadening ever so slightly, "I'm getting hungry.  How about you?"

            "Why, James, I was just thinking the same thing," replied Jessie, grinning back at him.  Both Jessie and James stood up and began to walk deeper into the forest, causing the slight gnawing to grow into a sharp scratching at his soul.

            "Wahh?  Where are ya goin'?" demanded Meowth his face filled with panic.

            "We're just going over to the next town," answered Jessie with a grin.

            "After you get the Pokemon from the trainer, just head on out here," added James.  "It's not too far."

            "See ya!" they both yelled before continuing down the road.  Meowth looked after them with uncertainty before telling himself to relax.  Little did he know that by the time they were out of sight they started into a run.

            _Of course 'dey'd leave, Meowth thought to himself as he curled himself up, readying himself for a long wait.  _Who knows how long it'll take for a Trainer ta find his way down 'dis road and decide ta capture me.  Plus, I'll have ta wait until tonight before I can steal his Pokemon.  It's still pretty early.  Had 'dey stayed out here it woulda been a total waste of 'da day._  Meowth felt himself becoming more confident in this plan the more he talked to himself.  _'Dey also said 'dey were goin' ta get somethin' ta eat.  Maybe if 'de Trainer has really good Pokemon, I'll be able ta get somethin' extra special for dinner!__

*          *            *

            Kenjo walked down the road with a hum in his throat and a smile in place.  He sure loved traveling, especially down roads where there was nothing but the sounds of the wild Pokemon.  He breathed in the fresh pine air and felt as exhilarated as he had when he first left Pallet on his Pokemon journey.

            _It was just Squirtle and I at that time, thought Kenjo with a sigh.  __How far we've come since then....  Kenjo found himself wandering back to his experiences during his first year of training.  He still remembered the feeling he go when he had caught his first Pokemon, when he won his Boulder Badge, when he won his Soul Badge and all the moments in between!  How he missed his mother!  His father was killed in a shipwreck three months before he had been born, so there was no real tie between him and a fatherly figure.  Except for probably Professor Oak.  He was both Father and Grandfather.  Both Teacher and Friend._

            "I'll make you proud, Mom.  Both you and the professor!" said Kenjo aloud to himself before breaking into a determined-filled run.  He expected to run for at least a few miles before stopping (he had been a great runner even before leaving on his journey) when he saw that something was sitting in his path.  He skidded to a stop and stared at the creamy white and tan body that sat in the road.

            "It's... a Meowth!" cried the boy, snatching out his Pokedex.

            "Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokemon.  Meowth adore round objects.  It will wander the streets at night looking for dropped change," stated Kenjo's Pokedex, Edwin (Cager's Note: I figured all Pokedex have names, considering Ash's Pokedex is named Dexter).

            "Oh, wow!  A wild Meowth!" laughed Kenjo, pulling a Pokeball from his belt.  "I'm going to capture it!  I choose you, Butterfree!"  Bursting forth from the Pokeball came the butterfly-like Pokemon, ready for action.

            "Me-owth!" hissed the Pokemon in the road, which, as we all know, is our friend the Meowth of Team Rocket.  At this moment, Meowth was fighting with himself over the urge to run and the odd feeling of wariness that filled him about this whole plan.  He didn't have much time to dwell on his feelings, though, because Kenjo wasn't about to let this Pokemon get away.  He simply adored Normal-element Pokemon!

            "Butterfree, Whirlwind!" ordered Kenjo.  Flapping its wings madly, the butterfly began to churn up a whirlwind that pulled the Meowth out from under his paws and threw him into the air.

            "Now, Tackle!"  Completely helpless while he fell, Meowth could only flail out his arms while the Butterfree gave him a mid-air tackle and knocked him up against a nearby tree.

            "Now, Sleep Powder!" cried Kenjo and his butterfly-like Pokemon complied without hesitation.  Flying closely to the beaten Meowth, the Butterfree released its sleeping spores and they covered Meowth's body.  He breathed in the sparkling silver dust and immediately felt a wave of sleepiness fall over him.  Everything was quickly going black, much too fast and too black in Meowth's opinion.  He had never felt so beat, so tired.  He was almost grateful when the unconsciousness began to crowd in.  The last thing he remembered was the boy yelling out one more time.

            "Pokeball, go!"

*          *            *

            "Well, James, we did it!" cackled Jessie when they claimed a seat at a nearby diner.

            "I know!  To think, we're finally rid of him!" agreed James.  The ordered two chocolate malts while Wobbuffet escaped from his Pokeball, once again, but they let it slip this time.  They were much too pleased with themselves to let Wobbuffet ruin it.

            "Here's to Meowth's 'lucky' new Trainer," laughed Jessie as she raised her malt glass.

            "Here!  Here!" chuckled James, raising his own malt to hers.  They both giggled as they slurped their malts, both totally unaware that throughout the entire conversation Wobbuffet, who was usually very social and talkative, remained completely silent.

To be continued....


	2. Chapter 2

**What's Inside**

****

**Angi:** Cager?  Cager?  Where are you???  :s

**Anto:** Hey, can anyone help us find the Cager?  :(  We've lost her!

**Marik Kitty:** Hahaha!  Now that Cager's lair is missing its hostess, it'll be totally defenseless!  I can now take over it and with my band of mind-slave anime kitties I shall rule and become the Lord of Cager's Lair! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!

**Raistlin:** *stares at the little Marik Kitty before turning back to the audience* As you can see, with us having lost the Cager even our most sane muse friends are losing it.  Of course *snicker* many of us were mad to start with.

**Albert de Morcerf:** *frantic* Where's Cager?  Where's my Cager?  WHERE IS SHE!!!??? *bursts into tears*

**Antea:** o_O Master Albert, you're not one of Cager's muses!  What are you doing out here?

**Albert:** I want my Cager!! 

**Jouti:** This is getting out of hand. *turns to the audience*  Please, if any of you know about the Cager's whereabouts, please inform us.  Only one guess per review.  Each chapter we're going to give a hint on where the Cager may be hidden.  You have to be specific where you think Cager is, so just saying "I think she's in the Kanto Region of the Pokemon World" won't get you anything.  Yes, that's right.  There's a reward:  **25,000np (neopoints) cash for your Neopets (so if you don't have a Neopets account, you'll be out of luck :P)  For those of you who have a grudge against Neopets for any reason at all we don't want to here about it.  You just don't have to participate in the search.**

**Today's Hint:** Cager is somewhere in one of her favorite animes. (Which means she's going to be someplace in either the world of Pokemon, Digimon, DB(Z, GT and whatever else they may have!), Yu-Gi-Oh!, etc..)  So, don't be saying she's at Hogwarts, down in the Slytherin common room or shooting through the phone lines in the Matrix, alright?  Have a good time guessing!  Remember, a new clue will be given in the next chapter, and once again--ONLY ONE GUESS PER CHAPTER REVIEW!  You can always make a new guess on your next review **in the next chapter**.

**Antea:** *holds a sobbing Albert in her arms*  Please, hurry up and find her!  He's about to have a cow!

**Angi: **Too late for that.  *sigh*  I guess I'm giving the disclaimer today.  Cager does not own Pokemon, the Anime kitties, characters from the Dragonlance Chronicles (Raistlin, Tas, and Gilthanas are just here to muse), or Albert from The Count of Monte Cristo.  She does own Kenjo and us Anti-Clones but she can't really claim us now while she's missing.

**Bakura Kitty:** Please, read and remew! (review)  Oh, and don't forget to help us find the Cager! :( Without her, how will I be able to get fresh fish for lunch?

**Chapter 2**

            Up.  Down.  Up.  Down.  Up.  Down....

            Meowth could feel the rocking of the Pokeball as his Trainer walked but it wasn't at all uncomfortable.  It was as if the Pokeball had built-in shock absorbers.  Maybe it did?  Meowth wasn't sure.  Being in a Pokeball was a totally new experience for him.  Ever since he'd been picked up by Team Rocket he had been left outside Pokeballs because he could cooperate with humans.  Now that he saw what it was like inside them Meowth decided they weren't too bad.

            _I'm completely comfortable, not at all cramped like I always thought 'dey'd be, thought Meowth as he gently rocked back an forth._  I didn't think it looked like 'dis, either.  Lookin' at a Pokeball from the outside makes it look as if it's all plastic an' metal, but on the inside it seems ta be like stained glass.  I never 'dought I'd be able ta see the outside world while inside a Pokeball.__

            Up.  Down.  Up.  Down.  Up.  Down....

            _I've never been treated in a Pokemon Center like 'dat either, mused Meowth.  __Too bad I was out cold, it woulda been interestin' ta see exactly how 'dat machine got me all fixed up like new._

            Up.  Down.  Up.  Down.  Up.  Down....

            _Maybe I should have Jess and Jim... hmm?  Meowth's thoughts were interrupted when he felt the gentle rocking come to an abrupt stop.  He stood up and pressed himself to the glasslike-side of the Pokeball to see what had made his new 'Trainer' stop.  The boy had his Pokedex out and before him stood a Nidoran Male.  His Trainer was saying something but all he could hear was a soft mumble.  His Trainer reached for his Pokeballs and, to Meowth's great surprise, closed his fingers around _his_ Pokeball!  Meowth felt it being raised and then watched as the glass around him seemed to change back into metal as the Pokeball was enlarged.  This time, when his Trainer shouted, he heard every word perfectly._

            "Meowth, I choose you!"  A mixed feeling of both fear and exhileration filled Meowth as he felt his Pokeball fly through the air and burst open.  He landed down on all fours with his claws extended, ready to fight.  Ready to fight?  Meowth had never had such an urge to crush this Pokemon before him!

            "Wait, Meowth.  Just wait a moment," said his Trainer when he saw how much his Meowth wanted to start slashing.  The Nidoran hissed and charged, its horn poised for battle.

            "Now, dodge it and use the Scratch attack, Meowth!" ordered the Trainer.  Meowth felt something click inside of him then--something that had never happened before--and instinct took over.  He rolled out of the way and then turned to slash the Nidoran's unprotected side with his claws.  The Nidoran managed to turn and give Meowth a few punctures with its horns but Meowth didn't even feel them.  His claws seemed to have a mind of their own but Meowth was entire conscious of all he was doing--and he liked it!

            "Bite it--Now!" shouted the Trainer.  With a loud "Meowth" the cat Pokemon bit deep into the Nidoran's ear.

            "Raaaaaa!" cried the Nidoran as it fell down to its belly in pain.

            "Pokeball, go!" cried the Trainer, as he threw the half-red, half-white sphere.  It smacked into the Nidoran Male's side and sucked it in.  Both he and Meowth watched intently as it rocked back and forth.  Such a moment always seems to a last an eternity to a Trainer, but to the Pokemon who worked to capture the wild one it always feels as if it lasts longer than even that.  To the relief of Meowth, the ball stopped its rocking and the button in the center turned white, signaling the capture of the Pokemon.

            "Yes!  I have a new Nidoran!" laughed his Trainer and he watched the Pokeball glow and transfer itself back to Prof. Oak's research lab.  He turned to his Meowth with a smile, but then a look of dismay crossed his face.  Meowth, who was quickly coming back to his senses, suddenly felt a wave of dizziness fall over him.  Pain like nothing he ever felt before erupted from his belly and chest where the Nidoran had pierced him and where poison was now working its way through his body.

            "Meowth, are you okay?" asked the Trainer as he came to kneel next to his convusling Pokemon.

            _Do I look okay, you numbskull?! thought Meowth but he managed to control his voice and just give a faint "Merow..."  Meowth thought for sure his Trainer was going to stuff him back into his Pokeball and head straight to the nearest Pokemon Center, but to his utter surprise, his Trainer began to rummage around in his back pack.  He pulled out a small, corked bottle and a disposable needle and began to tend to Meowth.  He injected the syrup from the bottle into Meowth arm and then began to clean up the rest of his wounds with disinfectant and water.  Meowth felt the pain ease immediatly after having the antidote injected and felt even better when his Trainer had him all bandaged up._

            "There," sighed his Trainer as he took Meowth into his arms and held him gently.  "You'll be okay now, Meowth."  His Trainer looked at him with a look of complete and utter fondness--a look Meowth had never seen directed towards him before.  His trainer was proud that he had helped to capture that Pokemon but he was also relieved that he was all right.  Meowth felt something else, another one of those odd feelings, creep over him.  The odd feeling intensified when his Trainer began to scratch behind his ears and whisper, "I'm so very proud of you.  You're the best Meowth there has ever been."

*          *          *

            "Oh, Kenjo, it's you!" cried Mrs. Sukai as she looked through the video phone screen to her son.

            "Yeah, it's me.  How are you?" replied Kenjo with a smile.

            "I'm just fine.  What about you, Sweetie?  Are you okay?" asked his mother with a slight quiver in her voice.

            "I'm alright, Mother.  Really, I am!" laughed Kenjo who never got over the fact that his mother was such a worrywart.  "I'm just at the Pokemon Center near Fushia City."

            "You're still at Fushia?  Honey, are you going to move on to another town soon?  You've been there for nearly four months."

            "I know, Mom, but I--"

            "No, I don't want any more excuses," sighed his Mother as she raised her hand.  "I've heard them over and over again.  You really need to get on, Ken-chan.  If you don't, you won't reach the Pokemon League until your fifty!  I may not even be here when the time comes...."  Her voice trailed off and her look was distant.

            "Oh, Mom, don't say that," whispered Kenjo, touching the screen.  "I'll be moving on soon.  Don't worry, I'll just wait until my Meowth is entirely healed and then I'll be on my way."

            "A Meowth?" asked his Mother, her face brightening.  "I didn't know you had one.  When did you capture it?  Is it a good Meowth?"  Kenjo laughed at his Mother's quick change in subject.

            "In this order:  Yes, I do have one, I captured it yesterday, and yes, it's very good."  Kenjo smiled when he saw how happy he had made his mother.  She had not been able to do much on her Pokemon Journey when she was younger and she wanted her son to get as much out of the experience as he possibly could.  "Oh, and I wanted to ask you, how's Tic and Tac doing?  Are they helping you with the Murkrow problem?"

            "As a matter of fact they are," beamed his mother as she turned so he could see Tic (a Minun) and Tac (a Plusle) playing in the back ground.  "Ever since you sent them over I have not had one cabbage or eggplant carried off or pecked or anything.  Thank you for letting me use them, Ken."

            "You're welcome, Mother.  Well, I guess I'd better go.  I do believe my Meowth is just about healed up.  See you later, Mom."

            "Bye, Sweetie.  I love you," called his Mother before the screen went black.  Kenjo was just hanging up the receiver when a smiling Nurse Joy came up to him, carrying Meowth in her arms over to him.

            "Here's your Meowth, Kenjo.  He's ready for battle once again," said Nurse Joy as she deposited a healthy Meowth in Kenjo's arms.

            _So, his name's Kenjo, is it? thought Meowth, letting himself hang loosely in Kenjo's arms._

            "Thanks Nurse Joy.  Did I do a good job of bandaging him up?  Did I follow procedures correctly?" asked Kenjo with an eager smile.

            "You did wonderfully," replied Joy with a smile.  "He just needed a little more tending when you brought him in, but..." Her voice faltered and a small frown-line appeared in between her brows as she continued.  "How long have you had this Pokemon, Kenjo?"

            "Only since yesterday," replied Kenjo, making Meowth start.

            _Yesterday?  When did 'dat happen?  I should'a already gotten his Pokemon by now! thought Meowth franticly.  He hadn't been able to get a full grip on the passing of time since his battle with Kenjo's Butterfree.  He must have still been sleeping in the Pokeball when all that time had passed._

            "Well," continued Joy, neither she nor Kenjo noticing how tense Meowth was, "he's very undernourished.  I think you need to make sure and get some food into it every day.  He's nearly skin and bones!"

            "Yeah, I noticed that yesterday," muttered Kenjo with a frown.  "I guess he wasn't much of a hunter out in the wild."

            "Make sure to stop by the kitchen before you leave, alright, Kenjo?" prompted Joy, her tone saying she already knew what answer was coming.

            "Yes, ma'am," piped Kenjo with a nod.

            _Food!?  Meowth's mouth began to water at the very thought.  Kenjo stood and, giving a quick farewell to Joy, headed towards the kitchen.  That was when a new idea stuck Meowth.  __What if I just wait a few days before gettin' his Pokemon?  I mean, Jess an' Jim'll understand 'dat sometimes 'dese plans take time, so jus' a few days won't hurt.  All 'dis free food!  I guess Jess an' Jim did come up with a good plan, afterall.  Ha ha!  Kenjo--Party of two!_

*          *          *

            "I know this is a little odd, Meowth, but I would like to keep you out here with me," said Kenjo as they walked down the route that led out of Fushia City after having eaten and stocked up on traveling supplies.  "You see, I've met a few trainers that travel around with a Pokemon out of their Pokeballs so they have someone to talk to while traveling.  My cousin, Lisa, really likes to have her Aipom with her wherever she goes, so I mostly got the idea from her."

            "Meowth," muttered Meowth with an understanding nod.  Pikachu was always outside his Pokeball, so why not he?  Kenjo was silent for a few minutes.  It was a kind of awkward silence, like he was holding back on saying something but Meowth understood just a few more minutes later when Kenjo resumed talking.

            "I used to travel around with my Eevee out with me all the time."  Kenjo said this in a very quiet voice.  "Eevee and I were very close but when it evolved... into an Umberon... it didn't seem to think of me as a worthy trainer anymore.  I... I guess it's because I only have two badges.  Then,"  Kenjo's voice became heated and hard, "then, it was stolen from me!  It was coaxed away with false promises and fake rewards!  It was stolen from me by a Rocket."

            Meowth's heart froze for an instant.  He was almost certain the reason Kenjo was saying this was because he already knew that Meowth was a Rocket but was reassured when Kenjo continued talking instead of beginning any accusations.

            "I _hate_ Rockets!" growled Kenjo dangerously.  "They don't do anything worth-while!  All they do is lie, cheat and steal.  Well, I'm not going to make the same mistake I made with Eevee."  He turned to Meowth with a determined look in his eye.  Meowth looked up at him with a frozen, yet admiring, heart.

            "You'll help me, won't you Meowth?  You'll help me gain those badges I need to win, won't you?"  He knelt down and took Meowth's paws in his hands, surprising Meowth beyond all reason.  This human was speaking to him as an equal, not as a master to a servant, like he always expected a trainer to act.  "With you by my side, I'm sure to get the badges I need to gain both the Pokemon League Champion chip and the respect of all my Pokemon.  I'm sure of it."

            Kenjo's eyes softened then and his determined filled face fell into a fond smile, that expression that always made Meowth feel odd inside.  "You're the best Meowth there is, I know it!  Together, we can do anything.  Thank you, for joining me in my journey, Meowth.  Thank you."  He pulled Meowth into his arms just then and continued down the road, smiling and caressing Meowth's fur.

            _I've got ta get outta here! thought Meowth frantically.  __I don' understand what I'm feelin' but it probably ain't good!  I need ta get outta here an' take his Pokemon ta'night!_

To be continued...


End file.
